To address climate change, Bill Gates says we need more Elon Musk

Bill Gates stated that more entrepreneurs like Elon Musk are needed to combat climate change.

“I think Elon Musk has done a tremendous job with Tesla. In an interview with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin on Thursday morning’s “Squawk Box,” Gates said, “It’s probably the largest single contribution to telling us that electric automobiles are part of how we tackle climate change.” “We need a lot of Elon Musks, including… ones who work on these really hard categories,” he added, citing steel and cement as examples.

Musk’s carbon removal challenge, which was introduced last month, was also mentioned by the billionaire philanthropist. Musk said on Twitter that he will contribute $100 million to a contest for the greatest carbon-capture device.

“Elon has created a carbon capture prize, which is an incredible idea,” Gates said, referring to his new book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.” It arrives at a critical juncture, since global carbon dioxide emissions have risen dramatically over the last century, resulting in unprecedented global warming and climate change.

Gates remarked, “I believe he should be extremely proud of what he’s done.”